I Don't Care
by MagnusPr1m3
Summary: "Let's get the hell outta here, Keith!" Sadly, it didn't turn out as planned. Past KeithxEllis. Future NickxEllis.
1. Prologue

**I Don't Care**

_Summary: "Let's get the hell outta here, Keith!" Sadly, it didn't turn out as planned. KeithxEllis. Future NickxEllis._

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

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><p>"Ma! I'm ho-"<p>

A blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the small country home, startling the twenty-three year old boy- for his mind state was still that of a boy- as he stumbled back from the shock of a creature leaping towards him. He yelped as yet another scream sounded and the creature managed to tackle him to the wooden porch of his childhood home. He winced as claws sank their way into his abdomen and began tearing through his work shirt and skin.

"Get- off!" He hissed as he forced the thing off of him with a desperate shove. He stood and prepared to run when he finally got a good look at the still 'alive' creature that attacked him. He stumbled back once more at the sight of the person.

Of his mother. Her eyes were black and yellow and pupils rather cat-like instead of their typical light blue. Her face was covered in blood and rotting flesh, and her once adorable yellow floral print dress was covered in the red fluid as well. Her hair, in it's wiry grey wonder, somehow was still in a neat little bun on her head, much unlike the disorder and chaos of the rest of her blood-drenched persona.

"M-Ma? Are ya okay?" The boy stupidly stumbled towards the woman who was crouched down and growling at him. "What happened? Was it somethin'-"

"Ellis, get back!"

The young man with dirty blond hair whipped around and found himself being pushed to the ground rather forcefully. There was another screech before a loud thunk was heard as the porch and it's two still living occupants were splattered with blood and guts. Ellis just lay there in shocked silence as he stared at one of his now red coated hands. "M-Ma..."

A firm hand grips his shoulder, pulling him up and forcing him to stand. Thankfully, the other brunet before him stood between him and the corpse of his dear mother turned... Well, turned down right insane if anything else. Ellis soon found himself in his friend's tight, comforting embrace, the other man's small amount of facial hair brushing against his own smooth cheek.

"Now, El, hurry up an' stop yer blubberin', we gotta move. People have been actin' like that all over 'Vannah, we have ta get to one of them evac centers and _fast_!" The other ordered as he gently shoved Ellis into the house so he could sort out what to do with the body.

Ellis simply shuffled through the doorway and into the house, that was nothing like he had left it when he went to Keith's for the weekend on Friday. What was once neat, orderly, and rather obviously family-oriented was then ripped to shreds, littered with glass, fluff from the couches, and wood shards from the furniture and pictures, and blood, so much blood. It was as if someone had tried to repaint the house and grabbed the wring can of red liquid. Some parts of it were still red, while other portions were already brown from oxidizing.

Ellis stood there for a moment, staring and listening to the sounds around the house. He could hear Keith outside, talking to himself about a way to get to the nearest evac. He heard the wind blowing outside, causing the branches of an old oak to scratch against one of the outer walls of the house. The one sound he didn't hear, though, was his mother and sister laughing, much like they were whenever he came home from a day- or in this case, weekend- with his buddy.

"Oh god..." He muttered, his body kicking into action as he rushed through the remains of his home for the past twenty three years, heading for the staircase. "_Lizzy!_ Are you okay? Where are you at, gal?" He charged up the stairs, taking them two steps at a time as his boots thudded up the altered incline. "_Lizzy!_" He didn't even slow at the table lying on its side after the last step, desperately leaping over it and sliding to a stop before a doorway.

"Ellis!" Keith's voice called from the lower level of the house. "What's going on?"

But Ellis couldn't find the strength to talk after opening the door as he let out a small chuckle. There, next to a duffle bag on sky blue sheets was his old hunting rifle and a single sheet of paper with slanted scrawl upon it. He finally allowed himself to clutch at his bloodied abdomen as he entered the room with a slight limp, adrenaline having left him for the moment and all pain having returned. He sat down upon the bed as Keith rushed to the doorway, panting slightly. Ellis grabbed the note and began reading it, ignoring Keith as he tried to speak.

"El," He read aloud, stopping his friend short. "Hope you live to see this note." That part made his heart practically snap, but he continued reading, "I have to rush out. I set aside these supplies for you. Jed and I are heading out to that new hotel down by the mall. It's nearest evac point. Hope you and Keith make it there. If mom is okay again when you get here, tell her I love her. Lizzy." He looked up from the piece of paper that now wore a few tear stains. "She and Jed are safe, Keith. We have to go meet them!" A new determination entered his blue eyes as he grabbed the gun and began searching through the duffle bag.

"I'll go grab yer truck, and some food." Keith answered, his expression turning serious. He turned and began muttering to himself as he walked away. "Maybe I could make a couple more molotov cocktails 'fore we go..."

Ellis chuckled, pulling some things out of the bag: a blue trucker's hat, his favorite yellow Bullshifters tee-shirt, and some of his more worn out mechanics overalls. Another note was attached to the hat, and he laughed at what it said.

_Go kick some ass in style, Ellis. Make sure Keith don't kill himself._

Ellis changed quickly into the outfit, throwing his other outfit in the bag for spare. He threw the straps of his rifle and duffle bag over his shoulders and maneuvered somewhat painfully down to where Keith was waiting in the truck. His friend was chilling, head bobbing to the sounds of the Midnight Riders with his feet propped up on the dash and a shotgun resting in his lap. Ellis chucked the bag haphazardly into the bed of his truck, startling the other hick into action as he jolted up, gun poised and loaded. Ellis only rolled his blue eyes as he entered the truck, slamming the passenger door shut behind him.

"Let's get the hell outta here, Keith!"

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><p>Kevyn: <strong><em>Another one of my fics! ^^ I hope you guys like this one!<em>**

Mags: ... Kevyn, don't you try to steal my thunder now...

Kevyn: Too late, little sis!

Mags: -gasp- But I'm the **_older_** twin!

Kevyn:... Whatever. I hope you guys like this so far! Please review if you liked it, or if you happen to stumble upon a grammatical error somewhere that I may have missed.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

They rode in silence for awhile on the country road connecting Ellis' home to Savannah, Georgia. There wasn't much to talk about. After all, Keith just killed Ellis' Mom, albeit to save Ellis but, still. So, they sat there somewhat awkwardly, Keith occasionally glancing over at his friend who sat staring out the passenger side window.

"El, do you remember that time we was going hunting? I accidentally stepped in that bear trap, and you had to try and get my foot out of it without getting stuck yourself." Ellis turned to stare at Keith through somber blue eyes, a small smile curling up the edges of his lips.

"Took me like two hours, and then when we got ya to the doctor, they almost couldn't save your foot! Then, the best part was they put you in a pink cast because it was all they had left and you had broken the two bones in yer calf!" Ellis chuckled at the memory of his friend complaining that he looked like a girl. "I think that was why Jed and the others started wearin' pink for awhile when we'd hang out."

Keith grinned over at Ellis real quick before continuing to focus his eyes on the road. "Sure was."

And thus, the silence returned. But not quite as awkward before. It was a simple, nostalgic silence as the two remembered the good old times where they couldn't hang out without Keith getting hurt. A few snickers slipped from the two at certain memories, while they would both wince at others.

"Hey, Keith?" Ellis chose to speak this time, turning to look at his friend once more. The other looked up at him out the corner of his eye. "C-could we stop for a little while? I'm not sure I can to leave just yet."

Keith began to pull over next to a small patch of woods, smiling over at his friend. "'Course, El. We'll stop as long as ya need." He gently slipped a hand out to encase one of Ellis', giving it a gentle squeeze. "Just tell me when you're ready to leave; I'm gonna take a-"

"Would you mind staying up with me?" Ellis whimpered, looking rather pitifully at the other male.

"Gosh darn it, El! Don't make that face! I can never say no to _that_ face!" Keith joked as he sat up straighter. He didn't mind as Ellis inched over so there was no space between them. His friend had just been attacked by his _mom_. "Hey, Ellis. Did ya ever fix up your wounds?"

Ellis simply nodded as he leaned his head on Keith's shoulder, fighting back tears. It startled Keith; he had only seen Ellis cry once before, when his Dad had died in that terrible car accident. They were only 13 and 15 then- Keith being two years older than his friend, and he had never wanted to see his friend like that again. The tears that flowed freely from those sad blue eyes as he grimaced and clung to Keith for what felt like an eternity were _never_ supposed to return.

"It's okay, El. I'm here, and Liz and Jed got out alright. Everything'll be okay!" His voice was so falsely chipper it made _him_ sick, so he could only imagine how Ellis felt about it.

"I know... It's just..." Ellis paused to try and calm himself for a moment. "Well-"

"It doesn't matter, 'Kay? We are together, and _alive_, ya hear? That's all dat matters right now. We'll worry about the rest latter." Keith paused before an idea dawned on him. "Do ya still have those fireworks in your ole' tool box in the bed?"

Ellis' eyes widened before he nodded and watched as his friend scampered out the old truck eagerly and snagged his toolbox from the back. He quickly realize where this was headed and laughed, all sadness forgotten. "Keith, now di'n't ya learn from last time that you and fireworks just don't mix?" He asked teasingly as he exited his old blue ford to stand on the grass a few feet from his excited friend.

"Ah, but El," Keith whined, a roman candle already clenched in his rough, scar littered hands. "Ya know I di'n't mean ta get blown up like that. It just sorta happened." He shrugged, shifting vigorously through the contents of the toolbox for something to light his possession off with. Ellis only chuckled as he entered the truck once more, opening the dash and pulling out a matchbook for his friend.

"If ya blow yerself up this time, I ain't helpin' ya." He chastised prematurely, smirking as he tossed the matches to a rather grateful looking Keith.

"What makes ya think I'll blow myself up again?" Keith asked, the statement making him sound slightly offended though he honestly did not care. He was too focused on lighting off the roman candle in his hands to take notice to much else. "Hey, El!" Keith called as an idea struck him. "Come light this off with me!" He smiled pleadingly at his younger friend, who couldn't help but smile back.

"Ya ready to let me show you how to _really_ light off a firework?" Ellis questioned as he limped over to where Keith kneeled beside his toolbox in the grass.

"Nah, I just felt like sharin'." He grinned at the other hick, holding out a match and the selected firework. Keith could only pray that this really did help get Ellis' mind off of what all was going on. He hated to see a distraught, let alone sobbing, Ellis. It just wasn't right. Especially not when someone was as optimistic as the younger male typically was.

Ellis flicked the match across the strip on the matchbook, and wasted no time lighting the firework's fuse. He swiftly set it down and tugged Keith away to keep them both from getting injured once more. The two got about five feet away before it went off in a brilliant explosion of light and sound. The two laughed, a bright sound for such turbulent times that had come upon them in one fell swoop.

"Ha! Knew I wouldn't get blown up this time! Let's do that again!" Keith scrambled for the tool box after the explosion was finished, a child-like eagerness not only returning to him, but to Ellis as well as he followed his friend. "My turn!" Keith proclaimed aloud as he flicked his own match across the black strip. He marveled at the flame for a moment before connecting it to another fuse and heading for cover with Ellis.

"Keith!" Ellis squealed as he was tackled forcefully to the ground by the truck, laughing as his friend yelled, "Bomb!" jokingly as the firework went off. The two continued to laugh as the explosion continued, only stopping after a few explosion free moments.

Keith continued to just lie there on top of Ellis, even after a moment of awkward silence. Ellis thought for a while that Keith may have fallen asleep. But, he was quickly proven wrong as Keith spoke.

"Do ya think they're all in Heaven, waitin' for us?"

The question left Ellis dumbstruck. Could this be the end of the world he always heard about in church? But, then why would he still be here? He hadn't-

Oh God, he _had_ sinned. Him _and_ Keith had both sinned.

Ellis let out a weak sob, startling Keith slightly, "We can only hope so." He gently sat up, Keith getting off of him to sit beside him against the truck. The two lapsed back into silence, neither feeling the urge to break the other from their regretfullness. Slowly, Ellis' hand reached out for Keith's, fingers intertwining as the light slipped behind the horizon.

"I love yew, Ellis," Keith whispered, glancing over at his long time friend and awaiting a reply anxiously.

Ellis looked down at their hands, blushing. It wasn't the first time Keith had said that, but it felt different when not accompanied by the throws of ecstasy. "I-I love yew, too, Keith." He finally replied, looking up to find the other's face mere inches from his.

Keith smiled, leaning forward even more so that their noses touched, a blush coloring his young friend's cheeks a deep shade of crimson. He licked his lips tantalizingly, enjoying the anxious glint in the blue eyes he stared deeply into. He leaned forward more, and finally pressed their lips together, fighting off the urge to claim his friend then and there. It was simply not the time for sex.

But, making out was another topic entirely.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The two hicks could finally see the helicopters atop the hotel by noon the next day, although they were still a good few miles from their destination. They marveled at the sheer emptiness- well, except the random abandoned car or pet- of the streets of Savannah, a once crowded and inviting place. Ellis couldn't help but cringe as they past a few different bodies, all too mutilated for him to identify. _Definitely_ not how he pictured his home town to one day appear. If anything, it was a nightmare come true. It was something from those video games he would play as a kid where you and a few strangers were forced to survive in an apocalypse setting together.

"Almost there, El," Keith stated, smiling over at him quickly before returning his focus forward. He clenched his eyes shut as they passed over another "speed bump", trying to ignore the crunch that came with driving over it. "God, I _won't_ miss this."

Ellis only nodded his head as he rolled his window down manually, wishing to catch one last whiff of Savannah air before joining the chaotic mess he assumed the evac would be. He looked out, and froze as he spotted someone stumbling along, their gait rather disconnected and erratic as they walked along the sidewalk. He knew this person, too! It was Jed!

"Jed!" He called out the window, leaning out and waving at his friend. If Jed was there, then Lizzy had to be, too. "Jed! Keith, stop! It's Jed!"

Keith looked over real quick, hitting his foot against the break pedal. Sure enough, there was Jed. But, something definitely wasn't right. Keith just couldn't put his finger quite on what. "El, something don't seem right here..."

"Jed!" Ellis called again as he forced his door open, hand grabbing the hunting rifle as he began to charge toward another one of his friends. "Jed! Where is everyone? Where's Liz-"

For the second time in barely twenty-four hours, Ellis was cut off by an animalistic cry of rage. He found himself stumbling backwards in shock as his hands fumbled with the safety on his weapon. He ran backwards, trying to shoot the now charging man as Keith's own gunshots resounded throughout the previously quiet city.

Finally, one of them landed a successful shot in Jed's head, causing an explosion of blood and brains to erupt about them. Ellis didn't even stop to think as he scrambled into the truck and slammed the door behind him. "Keith, _go_!" He ordered, his thoughts going a mile a minute.

Jed was supposed to be with Lizzy, but he wasn't. Jed had become one of those things, like his mom. What if Lizzy was still with him when it happened? Did that mean she was dead? Or had she gotten away alright? What had happened to his sister?

"Shit!" Keith hissed as something came into view. It was _huge_, covered in raw muscle, and the ugliest thing Keith had probably ever seen. "What _is_ that thing?" He cried as he threw the truck in reverse and gunned it. "Ellis, shoot the damn thing!"

Ellis was trying with all his might to knock the thing down with a good shot to the head. But, it apparently did not want to go down so easily. It didn't help either with Keith's crazy backwards driving. "Keith! Just stop and get out! I don't think we can take that thing down!"

Keith slammed his foot down on the break, a force almost powerful enough to give them both whiplash. The two men scuttled out of the truck, running towards a nearby alleyway in hopes of escaping. It was only after getting five feet down the alley, though, that Ellis remembered their duffle bag full of supplies. He looked back, but immediately decided against going back at the sight of the giant pink thing behind them, pursuing them in an ape-ish manner.

Keith spun around, firing a few shots from his shot gun into the thing chasing them. Still, it refused to go down, merely stumbling a little with each shot. Keith groaned as he whipped back around and tried to catch up with Ellis. The younger of the two had gotten a little bit ahead of him, and seemed to speed up as the door to the hotel came into view. It was nowhere near as packed as they had thought it would be.

The hotel was in shambles; it's entrance doors were ripped off of their hinges, and all the windows were boarded up. 'Evac Center' was sprayed in red paint over its original sign, and there was an arrow beside it that pointed upwards. There was blood slathered all over the ground before the thirty story building, amidst a sea of bodies.

Ellis and Keith quickly stepped around the bodies and charged through the doorway, stepping over many other bodies about the tiled floor of the main lobby. They slipped precariously in still wet puddles of red substance as they dashed for the staircase. The monster chased after them, trampling the bodies and breaking anything in its path. They noticed three other people trying to get the elevator to come to them, an old man that Ellis thought looked somewhat familiar, a young woman in a Depeche Mode tee-shirt, and a rather gruff looking male in his late thirties in a dingy white suit and blue shirt. The man in the suit looked over at the noise and cursed motioning for the others to follow the passing natives.

"Ellis! You go ahead, I'll hold him off!" Keith ordered, shoving his friend forward gently. "Go!" Keith commanded as he pulled out the matchbook from his pocket, and a few firecrackers as well.

"Keith, _**NO!**_" Ellis cried as he tried to run after him. The woman snagged his elbow in her arm and pulled him through the doorway. Ellis caught one last glimpse of his friend who charged the creature, lit firecrackers held before him. His face had a look of pure determination on it as he and the creature neared each other.

Ellis whimpered as he turned away from the door, charging up the stairs in a hurried manner. He couldn't look back; Keith would not have wanted him to. So, Ellis did his best to get ahead of the others, to be the first to safety. For Keith. He threw his gun down, not wishing to keep it as a painful reminder of what happened. He gripped his hat firmly in one hand, prepared to throw it aside as well before he stopped. He slowed as he let his hand dropped down to the rail, remembering exactly what the note had said on the hat.

_Go kick some ass in style, Ellis. Make sure Keith don't get himself killed._

He couldn't keep to the second part, but he could still kick ass in style like Lizzy had wanted. And he would. He would enjoy every moment of it, for his mother, Lizzy, Jed...

Keith.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Nick trudged up the stairs, behind the younger two of the group who charged up excitedly. He tossed a glance back to the other older male, smirking as he watched the man huff and puff his way up the stairs. "Who the hell... Puts an evac station up /thirty/ flights of goddamn stairs?" He grumbled up at Nick.

Nick chuckled, "C'mon, Coach. Maybe the helicopter... Maybe it's made of chocolate." Coach frowned at this and simply shook his head as they continued their ascent.

Ellis was the first to reach the door, and he burst through it. He was prepared to just leap into a helicopter and get away from here. The sooner the better in his opinion. But, like everything else the past day, nothing was going as planned.

"Hey! Where is everybody? Hello! Anyone here?" Ellis called out, just before he noticed the fleeing choppers.

Rochelle came out next, and her face looked instantly devastated. "This, is not happening. This is not happening." She continued to repeat the phrase as she walked around the small patch of rooftop, looking at the various helicopters that were leaving them behind. Coach and Nick entered the picture soon after, both panting slightly as the door shut behind them.

The four survivors headed toward the fence at the edge of the roof, all watching as their freedom flew away. "Aren't they supposed to be saving our asses?" Coach asked rhetorically, holding the gun he had seen Ellis drop back at the stairs. He knew very well that it would help them in the long run.

Nick looked up from where he was hunched over his knees panting. "Looks like there's been a change in plans." His voice was foreboding and ominous as his green eyes locked onto the military chopper in the distance. "Fucking _great_."

Ellis immediately began to chastise the man, "Now, don't ya worry. There has ta be another evac; I mean, Kei-" Ellis choked at the thought that maybe his friend's life was wasted. Then, decided upon something else. "Ma buddy, Keith, was amazing at finding other ways outta bad situations. Once, we got trapped in the woods, and we thought this madman was chasin' us. Well, we managed ta get back to where we thought we left my truck, and it wasn't there. So, he thought maybe we could do like monkeys do and travel in the trees. Well, that di'n't work out too well 'cause -"

"Sweetie," Rochelle interjected, her mental breakdown being interrupted by the youngest group member's chatter. "I think we get the point."

"Well, ya see the issue with his plan was we ended up falling. Right on the madman, too! But, it turned out to just be old . But, boy, was he /mad/!" Ellis chuckled at the memory of the old loner griping at him and his friend. He looked back at the three people before him and gave them all a goofy grin. "So, how are we gettin' outta this mess, y'all? I don't recommend tree travel, though. It hurts when ya fall, and branches are always scratchin' ya-"

"There's another evac at the mall," Coach interrupted this time, though Ellis doesn't seem to mind the slightest bit at all. Coach glanced over at a table set up, containing some pistols, a few med kits, crowbars, and a few axes leaning beside it. "Looks like they left us some supplies." He turned to Ellis and tossed him the hunting rifle, "Here, boy. We may need that later. But save it for now."

"Okey doke," Ellis replied, his voice chipper but his thoughts not so much. _Just can't get away from ya, can I, Keith?_ He gingerly strapped it onto his back before heading to the table and picking up an axe. He tested the weight in his grasp, taking a few practice swings as the others grabbed their own supplies.

Ellis reached for the door knob as a hand settled on his shoulder, getting his attention. Rochelle wore a look of concern as she retracted her hand and addressed the 'boy'. "Aren't you going to grab a health pack?"

Ellis laughed, startling the woman before him and the other two men slightly. He rolled up the sleeve on his right arm, revealing an intricate tattoo on his bicep. "You see this here tattoo? It means I am a bad ass, zombie-killin' machine. The way I see it, these things are a _lot_ like the zombies in my old video games. But, if ya really want me to, miss, I will." He winked at Rochelle in mock flirtation before going and grabbing a health pack, clipping it to the strap on his back.

"You ready for this, old man?" Nick asked Coach as the younger two entered the stairwell.

Coach rolled his eyes, "Are you, Nicolas?"

Nick winced at the sound of his full first name. "Touché."

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><p>Their trip back to the lower levels was somewhat uneventful. A few encounters with what they had thus dubbed 'Special Infected', because of how much more skilled and tactful they were, and a few cautious trips across balconies were about as eventful as their trip to the nearest working elevator got. Thankfully, the four survivors made it to the elevator with only minor scratches and bruises instead of anything worse.<p>

Ellis leaned lazily against one of the elevators four walls, staring indifferently at the door before turning to the others. "My name's Ellis, by the way. I'd prefer it if ya didn't call me El because El's a girl name, although I guess ya can if ya want to." He held out a hand, and Coach kindly took it and gave him a firm shake.

"Nice to meet ya, Ellis." Ellis tried not to breath a sigh of relief as the older man avoided calling him the old nickname Keith gave him. "You can call me Coach. Just Coach'll do fine." He stated, giving the young man a small smile.

"Mighty nice to meetcha, Coach," He retracted his hand and turns towards Rochelle, smiling and extending his hand towards her now. "And who are you, miss?"

Rochelle took the hand in her own, then shocked Ellis by pulling him into a hug. She stepped back from him and gave her own smile, "My name is Rochelle. Got sent here to write a news story, and it didn't turn out too well, as you can all tell." It's Rochelle who turns and acknowledges the man in the now slightly bloody white suit. "What about you, suit?"

Nick smirked at her acknowledgement of his attire, "Nick; don't bother trying to get close. I don't plan staying too long."

Coach nodded as the elevator came to a stop, smoke slipping under the doors. "Okay, as soon as those doors open, we book it out of here, got it?" He stepped forward, preparing to open the two doors before looking back at the others. "On the count of three. One... Two...-"

"Three!" Ellis cried as the doors opened up, revealing to them a large amount of flames. "Run!" And thus, four survivors burst out into the now smoke-filled ground floor of the hotel. No one dreaded this quite as much as Ellis. What if he ran by Keith's body? What would he do then?

He trudged by several patches of flames, hacking at any Infected stupid enough to attack him. Many ran through the flames, catching on fire themselves, and often collapsed before reaching the survivors anyways. Ellis ran as fast as he could, not even trying to allow the others to stay with him. The anger and sorrow bubbling up inside of him was overwhelming as he plowed through the zombies with his axe, acquiring only a few more scratches and cuts. He leaped deftly over a metal table as he was forced into a shortcut through what was once a kitchen, tucking and rolling as he hit the hot floor on the other side. He quickly stood up, hacking at more zombies as he ran from the room. He would _not_ stop until he reached somewhere safe, not until he was evacuated. He would be rescued, for Keith and Lizzy's sake.

But, like everything else in that first week of infection, nothing went as Ellis planned as his thoughts were interrupted by an all-too-familiar blood-curdling scream.

Nick was the first to hear the cry of the Hunter, and he knew immediately who its target was. He jumped up and over the table blocking his path as he, Coach, and Rochelle sped to the young hick's aid. He leaped through patches of flames, an odd urgency forcing adrenaline through his veins to void out the pain. He could see a writhing silhouette against the red and orange, arms flailing at an unmoving form beneath it.

"Get off of him!" Nick yelled, aiming his pistol at the hooded figure as he came out of another patch of flames. The first shot knocked it off of poor Ellis who lay quivering in a pool of his own blood. He fired again while he charged to Ellis' side, the shot effectively killing it as a bullet entered and then exited the Hunter's head.

"Nick! Grab Ellis and get to the safe room up ahead! Me and Ro' will cover you!" Coach ordered as he came up to the two, his own axe held aloft as he ran and sliced at an approaching female Infected. "_Go_!"

Nick nodded, lifting Ellis up as the boy groaned in pain. He grabbed one of Ellis' arms and slung it over his shoulders, doing something similar with his own to support the hick. "Hang in there, Overalls." He whispered, a soft and almost inaudible sound accompanied by the flames and howls of the Infected. He began to jog rather sluggishly towards the safe room, not wanting to really risk the group's youngest member's life and his own by running.

"Nick-" Ellis choked out as the red door came into view. "-You're gettin' blood all over yer suit."

Nick ignored the comment at first, more focused on lugging the extra weight with him successfully to the safe room. Finally, after reaching the door and flinging it open, he answered. "Blood comes out easy... Don't ask me how I know that." He quickly tacked on, not wanting more suspicion linked to him. "Not like it isn't already covered in burn marks, either."

Ellis only gave a quaint nod of his head before collapsing to his hands and knees, exhaustion and blood loss kicking in. He panted for a few moments as Coach and Rochelle entered, slamming the door shut behind them. He continued to stare at the floor, thinking about how close to death he probably was at that mo-

"Eep!" He squealed as someone prodded his side, startling him into a seated position.

Nick chuckled at the reaction he got as he began to pull bandages and antiseptic out of a med kit. "Let doctor Nick fix you up." He looked the cuts across the kid's torso over, and was surprised to find even more slightly older ones that had been re-opened beneath them. "Jesus, Overalls, what were you doing before you came here?" Nick asked as he began to gingerly roll up the shredded remains of Ellis' shirt.

Ellis' eyes widened in fear for a moment as a distant look flashed through the blue gems. "My Ma was one of those Hunter things," He whispered hoarsely. "Keith saved me from her."

Nick just ignored him, on the outside, applying antiseptic to all the crisscrossing slashes. But, as he applied the bandage, he couldn't help but envy the kid. Not for being attacked by a Hunter, but for having had people that cared about him. Even if they are gone now, he still had them at one point in time.

"Nick, why'd you help me back there?" Ellis asked timidly as Nick finished off bandaging his cuts.

The ex-conman scowled at Ellis, hating for someone to see past his typical smirk. "I am not a /completely heartless/ bastard, thank you." He ground out, rather pissed off at the assumption that he would not have saved the young southerner.

Ellis looked oddly embarrassed as he tried to hide his blushing face, "Sorry. Was just wonderin'," he said softly as Rochelle came over with-

_A roll of duct tape?_ Ellis thought, instantly distracted from his previous embarrassment. "Whatcha got there, Miss Ro'?"

Rochelle smiled at him, breaking off a nicely sized piece as she knelt beside him. "I'm trying to fix up those holes in your shirt temporarily; that way your cuts are less likely to get infected," She looked up into his youthful face and smiled, a bright displaying of white teeth in dark times.

He gave her a goofy grin back, "Why, thank ya, Miss Ro'." He held perfectly still as the woman taped up his tattered shirt, his eyes watching the process inquisitively. Rochelle was fixing one of his last connections to Keith and his sister, and she hadn't even been asked to. It was as if she /really cared/ after only knowing him for maybe half of an hour.

It was when Coach came over to pat him on the back and tell him he would be okay that he really began to think about it all. Nick had helped him back into the safe room, and had even patched up his wounds. Rochelle had come over and helped temporarily seal the huge holes in his shirt, and Coach had come to try and comfort him. He was not even showing his sadness, he was smiling and chattering just like he normally would. It was as if they could see right through his front. It was as if they actually cared. Ellis almost had trouble keeping the tears from coming as Rochelle finished off, standing up and extending a hand to him.

"Th-Thanks, Miss Ro'," He muttered as his cool threatened to leave him. But, Rochelle didn't seem to notice that.

"No problem, sweetie, and please, just Rochelle will be fine." She helped tug Ellis into a standing position, steadying him as he wobbled slightly. "Why don't you go see if that vending machine over there has anything in it, okay?" She suggested, tilting her head towards the object being referenced. "Some food would do you a lot of good."

Ellis nodded with his grin returning, "Okay! I'll see what I can do!" He chirped before going to fiddle with the machine. As he began tampering with it, the other three survivors gathered by an old counter, serious expressions on their face.

Coach was the first to speak, his voice a somewhat low whisper, "What the hell are we supposed to do?"  
>Rochelle shrugged, "Head to the mall and hope to get evacuated there. That is all we can do."<p>

"Rochelle, we barely got to the bottom floor of the hotel alive," Nick grumbled leaning back against the wall and slumping slightly in exhaustion. "The only thing keeping us going is adrenaline and sheer human will power. And, as soon as that's gone, we are all dead." He yanked a thumb over at the distracted hick, his expression dropping even more. "I think even he may be close to empty, too."

Coach stood straight and looked over to a folding table, one set up with ammo and health kits, and then what was once a counter now covered by guns. "Well, then let's get a move on. We ain't got much time to waste anyways. Anyone who's hurtin' can just take some pain pills from one of the kits over there. Let's _move_, people!"

Two of the three others began to do as instructed before jerking up as there was a rather loud thunk. They all turned to see where Ellis stood on his toes pressed firmly against the wall opposing where the vending machine once stood. Said object now lay upon the floor, its front opened and bent back awkwardly with some snacks scattered around its edges.

"I swear it wasn't me!" Ellis stated in a hurry, arms thrown up as he inched even further away from the turned over machine.


End file.
